Fire and Ice
by Anetha
Summary: It won't happen over night, but sometimes if you hang in there, love can change even the hardest of hearts.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Fire and Ice

**Rating: **T for now, but for later chapters it will change to M.

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Just past midnight and the rain continues to fall steadily outside. Santana stands by her bedroom window, arms folded, watching as the rain drops move lithely down the glass. She has been standing there for a long time, thinking about everything and yet nothing in particular. Not a single light or lamp is on in her room, but the lights from the quiet suburban street outside ghostly illuminate it enough for everything to be seen.

The brunette hears the floorboards creek behind her; she slowly turns her head to see her mother standing in the shadows, leaning up against her door frame. Santana had heard her coming, she can distinguish her mothers footsteps approaching long before she appears.

"First day, are you nervous?" she hears her mother ask gently. Santana turns away and looks back out the window. "No. High school is high school. No matter where it is." The monotone reply doesn't hide the bitterness in her voice, and it doesn't go unnoticed. She hears her mother sigh tiredly but she just continues to stare at the rain falling on her window. "Just give it more time." Santana's jaw clenches and she resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Give it a chance here. Not just for your father's sake, but for all of us."

Her mother's words are quiet, but Santana can still hear the exhaustion in them. Deep down, she knows she's the cause of it. A few silent moments pass before the older woman slowly moves away from the doorway, "Anyway, I'm off to work." It's barely a whisper and Santana doesn't turn to watch her mother slowly disappear down the hallway, she just continued to stare out her window.

The Lopez family moved to Lima, Ohio from Los Angeles nearly two months ago. Santana's father Carl, was a well established automotive designer who owned and managed several of his own auto/body shops. Living in LA, he had plenty of customers; there was never a shortage of "hotted-up" vehicles in demand in LA. His business was extremely successful, bringing in more money than anyone would have expected, but over the years he had begun to lose his passion for it.

The main reason for moving away to Ohio in the first place was to do with Carl's desire to start fresh somewhere, somewhere totally different. He wanted to own a simple shop in a small town, work as a mechanic, and go back to doing what he loved: fixing cars. They were financially secure and had become tired of the superficial LA scene, and thought a simpler, quieter life would be a nice change for the family. His wife Gloria is a surgeon, working almost every day and all sorts of hours. She completely supported her husband's suggestion to move from the start, she always felt that LA never really seemed to fit their family.

Santana was just about to turn eighteen and begin her senior year of high school when her parents broke the news to her and her little brother Marcus. They had asked how she felt about the idea, and all she remembers is simply shrugging her shoulders and mumbling a quiet "whatever" before going back to her room. She was neither happy nor sad. There wasn't really anyone or anything in particular she would miss despite having lived in the city her whole life. She didn't really feel anything about the idea of moving to another state. Leaving her friends, leaving her home, none of it really hit her hard. The inconvenience of it all annoyed her more than anything else. Other than that, she didn't care. Marcus was sad at first because he was happy where they lived, but he was quickly excited by the thought of meeting and making new friends. That was the big difference with Santana, she was never happy in LA. Truthfully, she had never really been happy, anywhere.

xxxxx

The morning came around fast. Santana, once showered and dressed, threw her bag over her shoulder and wondered downstairs into the kitchen. Her long, dark hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, dressed in her usual jeans and band t-shirt, accompanied by a pair of her trademark black leather boots. With her mother still at work, Santana finds her father sitting at the breakfast table next to her little brother, who is eating his usual bowl of Lucky Charms. She gives her dad a small smile while walking over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and throwing it in her bag. "Morning sweetie. You sure you don't want me to give you a ride?" Her father asks kindly as Santana just shakes her head in response. "No it's fine, I feel like the walk. Have fun today shrimp." Santana ruffles her little brother's hair affectionately as she walks past him to the door. "I will! Have fun too San!" Santana shakes her head with a little smile as she steps out into the fresh morning air and closes the door behind her.

Traces of rain from the night before are all but gone as the warm sun beats down on her shoulders as she casually crosses her front yard. The Lopez family moved into by far the biggest house in the street, but Santana still can't distinguish one from the other as they all look so creepily similar. A typical example of suburban America architecture, she thinks.

As she steps out onto the footpath she looks up to see Puck jogging across the road towards her, wearing a stupid smile on his face and his back pack flung over his shoulder. Puck and his family live in the house directly opposite the Lopez's, on the other side of the street. "Morning Santana! You're looking devastatingly sexy today as always." Puck smiles teasingly as he gently nudges the Latina's shoulder, slowing his pace as he moves to walk beside her. "Bite me Puckerman." Santana shoves the mohawked boy back with her own shoulder as the two walk side by side down the footpath towards school. She's only been living in Lima for two months, but Santana's already found a solid friend in Puck.

The day they had arrived, the boy and his father had come over introducing themselves and offering their help to unload the trucks of furniture. Ever since then, Puck has been a regular visitor at the Lopez household, and Santana at his. Despite their aggressive and sometimes overly flirty banter with each other, Santana and Puck get along like a house on fire. True friends and soul mates from the get go. Though neither would ever admit it. "Excited for your first day at McKinley High? Don't forget to check your soul at the door." Puck jokes overtly as he watches his friend reach into her bag, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "I'm so excited I can barely contain myself." Puck laughs at the brunette's sarcastic reply and watches as Santana places a cigarette between her lips and lights it without breaking stride. "Be warned, it will drain your life. Those things will kill ya you know?" Puck smiles and raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the cigarette Santana has just taken a long, deep drag from. Santana nods her head as she slowly exhales, "So I hear. Want one?" She holds the pack up towards the boy. "Yep." Puck takes one out and lights it while Santana places the pack back in her bag. She and Puck both smoke like chimneys, one of the many things they have in common, they just don't do it in front of their parents. They know it's a disgusting habit. But they figure it's their disgusting habit to share.

The walk to school barely takes fifteen minutes, Puck having already informed Santana of how nearby it was. It was convenient, and Santana quickly agreed to join Puck on his walk there every morning. They both had cars, but figured a walk together would be a good way to start the day. And also a cheeky way to fit in a couple of cigarettes each before the school day began.

They walked into the parking lot of McKinley High, Santana stopping and letting out a sigh as she took in her new surroundings. She watches as the hundreds of students walk around everywhere like clusters of ants, reuniting happily with their friends. Puck stops beside her and throws his arm over her shoulder. "Well, beginning of senior year Lopez. Let's see how long its takes us to get our asses suspended." Santana's eyes land on a group of junior Cheerleaders, squealing and hugging each other excitedly as though they hadn't seen each other for years. Santana already wanting to punch each and every one of them. She chuckles quietly to herself, "Don't think it'll take very long."

Puck looks over to where Santana's looking, spotting the pack of giggling cheerleaders. "Yeh, making the cheer-bitches lives hell is one of the few joys I get out of this place. Jut don't get too close, you'll catch a disease." Santana shrugs Pucks arm off as she turns to the mohawked boy with a sly smile. "Speaking of diseases, shagged Berry yet?" She laughs at the horrified look appearing on Pucks face, and accepts the playful smack he gives her arm. "Shut up Lopez, it's not about "shagging" her! Might be hard for you to believe but I actually like her for more than just her looks." Santana smiles and rolls her eyes at her friend, "Yeh sure Puck." He bumps her shoulder again as the pair continue to stand in the middle of the parking lot. Santana knows Puck has a huge thing for Rachel Berry, it's all she's heard about since the day she met the guy. Puck was smitten with the tiny brunette, but refused to tell anyone besides Santana.

Santana even ended up meeting and befriending the girl and her diva counterpart/best friend Kurt. She didn't mind them, even Rachel. Sure the petite brunette was overbearing and attention seeking, but the girl was nice none the less. Welcoming Santana as a friend with open arms. Truthfully Santana just liked winding Puck up about it all. The mohawked, badass, rebel was nothing but a lovesick puppy when it came to Rachel, and Santana found it all very entertaining. Although there was only so much she could take, all his talk about "love and feelings" just made her want to throw up most of the time.

"Speak of the devil, here comes your little love muffin now." Santana gestures across the quad to where Rachel and Kurt have spotted the two and are already walking over to meet them. Puck glares at Santana as he turns to see Rachel walking across campus towards them with her signature smile plastered on her face. Puck was on the football team and had a reputation for being quite the ladies man, but there was something about the tiny brunette that totally disarmed his usual confidence. "If you weren't a girl I'd smack that smile off that sexy face of yours." Puck jokes as he desperately tries to grain control of the nerves suddenly rushing through his body, which unfortunately doesn't go unnoticed by Santana. "Yeah well if you weren't a girl I would have slapped this crap out of you ages ago!" She can't help it, it's just too easy to poke fun at the boy and his gooey feelings, and she knows Puck adores her enough to take it. Puck can't help but laugh at the brunette beside him, he really did adore her, and he found her honesty and general bitterness about everything fresh and endearing. Another thing they had in common.

"Santana, the day you fall helplessly for someone, mark my words, I'll be right here beside you ready and waiting to give you just as much crap as you're giving me." Santana rolls her eyes at the mere thought of such a scenario, she just shakes her head and doesn't even bother with a reply. Puck knows her well, but she knows herself far better. That sort of thing does not happen to Santana Lopez.

She just didn't have it in her.


	2. Chapter 2

Santana can feel people watching her as she walks through the crowded hallway. That's the thing with these small towns; everyone just seems to know when a new student has arrived. The brunette just eyes them back blankly, genuinely not giving a damn what any of them think. She watches Puck and Rachel talk animatedly in front of her as they slowly make their way through the corridor lined with lockers and full of noisy students.

She feels Kurt bump her shoulder gently to get her attention, she's sure he's been talking to her the whole time on their walk from car park to where they are now, she just hasn't actually listened to any of it. Kurt's sweet, but when he goes off on one of his fashion centered rambles, which occur pretty often, Santana just tunes out completely.

"So Miss Lopez, do you like life here so far?" Kurt smiles sweetly as Santana just looks over at him with a raised eyebrow. Kurt reads it perfectly and just shrugs his shoulders, "Stupid question, I know. I've lived here my whole life and I still don't like it." Santana gives him a small smile as she comes to a stop in front of the locker she's been assigned. Puck and Rachel stop at theirs directly across the hall from her, and Kurt leans up on the locker beside Santana with a heavy sigh, watching the commotion of people passing them by.

"I feel sorry for you Santana." The brunette looks across at Kurt questioningly as she fiddles with the combination lock. "I mean, one day you're living in LA where everything happens all the time! Then all of a sudden you're here, Lima Ohio. The dullest place on the planet where the only thing that happens is a monthly carnival, that I'm pretty sure is a direct scene out of The Notebook." She almost laughs at the thought of how lame this town is proving to be as she finally opens the locker and places her bag inside.

"Don't worry Kurt, LA can be pretty dull too." Santana gives her friend a small smile but he just shakes his head at her. "I really doubt that Santana, there's just so many things to see and do! There are so many possibilities in a city like that!" Kurt's eyes light up and Santana can tell he's imagining being in LA or New York right now.

She may have only known Kurt a short time, but she can't help but like the guy. His diversity and independent style is a breath of fresh air in a town where everyone seems to look and act the same as each other. Already she can tell Kurt doesn't belong there, he's destined for a far more "glamorous" lifestyle, Rachel too. Santana can't believe this small town has been able to withstand their combined energy for so long. Whenever Kurt and Rachel are together, it's like an unstoppable whirlwind of energy and excitement. They are the complete opposite to Santana in every aspect, and yet, she really has grown quite fond of them in the short time she's known them.

She runs a hand through her hair as she turns slightly to look at the boy next to her, "I guess I just didn't belong in a place like that." She doesn't know why she's even doing it, but for some reason Santana's trying to make him feel better, and that's something she never cares enough to do.

Kurt laughs lightly as he pushes himself off the lockers and steps closer to the brunette. "Trust me gorgeous, you don't belong in a place like this either." Kurt gives her a friendly wink before walking off towards his own locker. Santana watches him go and looks over to see Puck and Rachel still talking cheerfully in front of their lockers. She rolls her eyes unimpressed and turns back to retrieve the books from her bag. She swears the way those two act around each other is going to make her throw up one day.

Santana continues pulling things out of her bag and placing them in her locker, even though behind her she can hear the muffled whispering of students walking by. She picks up the occasional "that's her" or "she's from Los Angeles" as they pass her. She thinks she should probably be annoyed with everyone talking about her and making up all kinds of rumors, but she just doesn't care. Santana has always believed that people can think whatever they like, it makes absolutely no difference to her.

She continues pulling books from her bag and placing them in her locker, when she hears a locker a few down from hers open up. She casually glances up to her left, expecting to find just another random staring at her curiously, instead when she does look, Santana pauses.

Standing a few feet to her left is a blonde girl, who Santana instantly guesses is of similar age to herself and probably also a senior. The girl is a little taller than Santana, dressed in a plain black figure hugging t-shirt, short jean shorts and a pair of black boots similar to the ones Santana was wearing.

Her long blonde hair is hanging loose around her shoulders as Santana watches her pull books out from within her locker. Santana realizes this girl is possibly the only other person in the hall going about their own business, besides Puck and Rachel, and not just staring at Santana like she was some kind of strange exhibition.

The brunette eventually looks back to her own locker, having finally unpacked her bag, ready to grab the books she needed for her first classes. While pulling them out, she can't help but feel an erg to look back to her left again, and this time she finds the blonde looking back.

The girl closes her locker before giving Santana a genuinely sweet and unexpectedly kind smile. Santana returned a brief smile before turning back to grab the books she needed. She felt the blonde walk past her and when Santana looked again, the girl had already disappeared into the crowded hall of students.

Santana raised her eyebrows at herself and shook her head, grabbing the books she needed and closing the locker door. She turned around to where Puck and Rachel were still standing together. She wasn't looking forward to going near the pair but she needed to drag Puck along to their first class which they had together.

She was however happy to finally break up their bashful display of affection for each other, that was fooling absolutely no one. It really was beginning to make her feel ill.


	3. Chapter 3

Santana's first week at her new school had passed by just like any other; completely and utterly uneventful.

She had managed to get through all her new classes, and spent the rest of the time hanging out with Kurt, Rachel and Puck, who were constantly trying to convince her to join something called Glee club. Straight away she told them it didn't sound like her sort of thing, but that didn't stop them frequently trying to persuade her otherwise. The idea of singing and dancing around like a scene right out of High School Musical, just made her feel ill.

They were seen as a rather strange bunch of friends; consisting of two musical theatre devotees, a bad ass jock with a mohawk, and the quiet, mysterious new girl from LA.

A part from Puck being on the football team, their group was considered "outcasts" by the rest of the McKinley high teen hierarchy.

Santana knew people were still staring at her and constantly talking about her behind her back, but it didn't bother her at all. Coming from a big city into a small town, everyone wanted to know more about her, find out what "her deal" was. But Santana remained nothing but quiet and reserved, minding her own business, which just seemed to frustrate everyone that much more.

Everyone was curious about the gorgeous Latina that had suddenly appeared in their town, but Santana figured if she didn't care at all about any of their life stories, why did she need to share hers?

Before she new it, it was already Friday afternoon, signaling the end of her first week at McKinley High.

As soon as she and Puck walked out the school gate, she pulled two cigarettes from her bag, throwing one to Puck and placing the other in between her own lips.

"You're coming to this party with me tonight Lopez, I'm not taking no for an answer." Puck smiled as he watched the brunette light her own cigarette before handing the lighter to him. Santana inhaled long and deep as she looked up at her friend.

"Why? So I can watch you and Berry drool over each other like I have every other day this week?" Santana smiles as she lifts an eyebrow at the boy who just rolls his eyes at her.

"She and Kurt will be off dancing the whole night. It's the first party of the school year, it's pretty much mandatory that you come! It'll be fun, and I want a drinking buddy!"

Santana takes another long drag of her cigarette as she watches all the students walking out the school passing them by. A social gathering wasn't something she was all that excited about, but if there was going to be alcohol, she figured there could be worse ways to end her first week.

"Fine." She sighs, and Puck smiles triumphantly at the brunette as he pats her playfully on the shoulder.

"That a girl! I'll come over and get you tonight! You sure you don't want me to come with you now?"

Santana just shakes her head as another mouth full of smoke fills her lungs.

"Nah I'm fine. Just gonna be a quick visit, and I'll tell him I'm going out tonight while I'm there." Puck nods his head as he begins to back up in the direction of their houses.

"Alright cool, tell your dad I said hi. I'll text you later."

Santana gives him a little wave before turning and walking in the opposite direction. Her father's workshop was only a short distance away from the school so Santana figured she'd call in and see him since she hadn't even been to his new garage yet.

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Walking with the warmth of the afternoon sun beating down on her shoulders, it didn't take Santana long to reach her fathers workshop. The garage was situated on a gravel block, located on the outskirts of town, down the far end of the main strip of shops.

The shop itself had two aspects to it, on the right side were large glass windows where the office was, and on the left side were two huge roll-up doors to the entrance of the main workshop.

Santana stopped down the end of the driveway, leaning up on a nearby park bench. She noticed bits and pieces of engines on display outside the shop and already a couple of cars sitting in the driveway. She knew her father had a very popular reputation in LA with his body shop business, and already she could tell his new business here would never be short of customers.

Taking one last drag of her cigarette before dropping it to the ground, Santana slowly makes her way up the gravel driveway. She readjusts the bag strap on her shoulder and lifts her sunglasses away from her eyes and pushes them up to sit in her dark hair.

As she gets closer she can faintly hear her father say goodbye to someone, and then almost pausing mid-step when she sees who walks out of her father's workshop.

It was the tall, leggy blonde girl she had seen in school at the beginning of the week.

Since that brief moment at her locker, Santana hadn't seen the girl around school at all since. Now suddenly seeing her walking out of her father's bodyshop/garage, was definitely unexpected.

Santana internally shakes off her surprise and continues her casual walk up the driveway. She watches the blonde walk towards her and eventually look over and make eye contact.

The blondes stride does not falter at all; she doesn't seem surprised or shocked to see Santana, if anything the brunette notices a small smile appear at the corner of the girls' lips.

They just silently watch each other as they get closer and eventually pass the other by, their eyes never leaving the others.

"Hey." The blonde almost whispers, and that's when Santana sees those cerulean blue eyes up close and that sweet smile, just like the one she had received Monday at her locker.

She gives the blonde a slight nod if the head and returns a soft "Hey."

They pass each other and Santana continues up to the entrance of the workshop. Just as she's about to step inside, she looks over her shoulder just in time to see the other girl do the same. The blonde looks back, gives her another bright smile before turning and disappearing around the corner, out of sight.

Santana watched her disappear before turning around and walking into the garage.

She notices a car hoisted up on the platform with bits and pieces of its engine lying on the ground beneath it. The shop looks a lot like the one her dad owned in LA, not quite as big but still very spacious.

She looks around and spots her father, dressed in his greased up overalls, leaning over his desk writing something down.

"Hi Dad." Santana walks closer and watches her father look up, a huge smile appearing on his face at the sight of his daughter.

"Hi mija! Wasn't expecting to see you here!" Her father steps closer and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, making sure not to get any dirt or grease on his daughter.

Santana just shrugs her shoulders while looking around before gesturing behind her. "What did she want?"

She can't help but wonder why the blonde had been there, in her father's car shop of all places.

Her dad waves his hand nonchalantly towards his desk at the piece of paper he had been writing on.

"Oh she just placed an order for some parts." Santana frowns, that certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear. But, she thinks, whatever.

"So, what brings you here my dear?"

Her dad continues to smile as he leans up against his desk. Judging by the amount of grease and grime covering him, Santana can tell her dad has had a rather busy day at work.

"Just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be out with Puck and the others tonight, there's a party on or something."

Santana sounds more than disinterested with the idea, even her voice sounds bored.

Her father however just smiles even bigger once hearing what his daughter had to say.

"Well that's great sweetheart! A party! A good way to meet and make new friends! Right?"

Her father's overly cheerful attitude just makes the brunette role her eyes. She knows her parents want her to like it in Lima as much as they already seem to, and it wasn't that she liked it or disliked it. She was just, indifferent.

Santana sighs, turns around and starts walking back out the workshop.

"Yes dad, I'm very excited. I'll see you later."

She pulls her sunglasses back down to cover her eyes as she walks out the shop, back into the warm sun.

"Nice garage by the way." She can hear her father laugh and yell out a cheerful "thanks!" as she casually makes her way back down the gravel driveway.

Everyone seemed excited at the notion of a party.

Everyone that is…. except Santana.


End file.
